THE WORD: The Spartans are coming off of one of their most
successful seasons in recent history, posting nine wins in
Coach Counter’s second season. With just four starters
returning on both the offensive and defensive sides of the
ball, there will need to be quite a few young players step up
and fill some holes. One area that was left somewhat intact
was the defensive line. Tackles Josh Uloucha and Elton
Woodard return from successful 2013 seasons. Safety
Jerick Pitre had a standout year as a sophomore. While the
quarterback position is in question, much of the offense
should go through returning running back Brian Imarenezor
who rushed for almost 800 yards last season. Repeating
last year’s success will be tough as the Spartans new district
is much tougher top to bottom and their youth will certainly
be a major issue.

THE WORD: Coach Rudolph says of his team’s 1-9 finish last
season “The record doesn’t reflect the competiveness of
this football program. I am excited for the leadership developed in the offseason along with the gains in strength
and speed.” The Exporters return four of its starters on the
offensive line, two of those are big boys in Bryce Wilds ( 6’ 7,
305), Austin Closs ( 6’ 3, 315). Wilds was voted 1st Team
All-District last season and will lead the way for young running backs Tahj Edwards ( 5’ 11, 190) and Jeremiah Credit
( 5’ 7, 170). The strength of the defense will be in the line
backing positions as Edwards, Credit, and Jahcyi Thomas
all return from last season. In all, Coach Rudolph says replacing certain skilled positions, including the quarterback
position, will be key to his program’s success this year. Look
for Brazosport to be right in the thick of things as being one
of the biggest schools in the district will certainly help them
from a numbers standpoint.

THE WORD: The Blackcats have posted just one win in two
seasons with that one win coming against new district mate
West Columbia 61-36 last season. Bay City will come off
of that 1-9 2013 season with a young team once again this
year. Quarterback Zavian Gartica ( 6’0,171) had a good
2013 season where he threw for 789 yards while rushing
for 428 yards. Receivers Marcel Holden ( 5’ 11, 165) and
Allen Ge’Rod will provide Gartica with two dependable
targets. The strength of the team will likely be the defense
as Raymond Gonzales ( 5’ 8, 180) and Holden will join fellow
defensive starter Kris Martin who is an effective defensive
end. Bay City must have help from the lower classes to fill
some of the holes in order to grab one of the districts coveted playoff spots.

THE WORD: Needville is coming off back to back 0-10 seasons but new HC Mike Giles has enough experience returning to put the Jays in the win column for the first time since
2011 where they beat Palacios in a 23-20 nail biter. The
quickest improvement might show on the defensive side of
the ball with the return of linebackers Mason Wheeler ( 6’ 3,
190) and Dylan Kovarcik ( 5’ 9, 175). Wheeler earned 1st
Team All-District honors while Kovarcik earned 2nd Team
All-District honors for his performance last year. Mason
Sutton ( 5’ 10, 165) will likely take over under center and will
rely on the help of running back Deveion Starr ( 5’ 5, 155) out
of the back field. The offensive line will be young but look
for Daegen Fowler to get some playing time in the trenches
where he can move from tight end to guard if needed. Giles
is excited about his first head coaching gig after spending
time as an assistant at Athens, Irving Nimitz and Garland
Naaman Forest.

THE WORD: Based on the quality of their returning starters,
the Rockets appear ready to have a blast in 2014. Ten all-district players return for Robinson, including LB McNew, last
season’s district MVP who racked up 120 tackles and three
sacks. McNew will receive plenty of help from DE Thompson
and DT Washington, who combined for 170 tackles and 15
sacks a year ago while each earning first-team honors. Robinson’s offense can outscore foes if needed, based on last
season’s average of 43. 5 points per game. QB Davila, last
season’s district offensive newcomer of the year, returns after a sterling sophomore season that included 2,820 yards
and 35 touchdowns passing. He’ll have plenty of weapons to
work with, including WR Fuentes 64 catches, 1,001 yards,
13 touchdowns) and RB Owens ( 1,084 yards rushing, 19
touchdowns). Robinson must fill a few gaps on its offensive
line, but all-district OL Holmes is a proven building block.

THE WORD: Although the Bulldogs must find a new quarterback to trigger their high-powered passing game, enough
surrounding talent returns to keep Burnet’s spread passing
game humming. WRs Foster and Jones make up one of the
top receiving duos in the region; Foster accumulated 1,016
yards from scrimmage with 19 touchdowns a year ago,
and Jones hauled in 60 catches for 1,077 yards and seven
touchdowns. Promising sophomore WR Steven Gallardo
adds even more speed to the receiving corps. In addition,
all-district C McHazlett anchors a stellar offensive line that
includes three other returning starters. The return of district
defensive MVP LB Hall will help the unit replace six starters. Hall, a 6-1, 210-pound senior with good speed, racked
up 156 tackles a year ago while earning several all-state
honors. All-district LB McElroy, who had 127 tackles last
season, serves as an ideal complement.

THE WORD: An experienced signal caller and a talented offensive line should keep the Pirates in their customary role
as district-title contender, said longtime coach Williams.
QB Jones returns for his senior year after throwing for 665
yards and seven touchdowns in limited time a year ago. He’ll
work behind a strong offensive front anchored by versatile
OL Rivera. RB Ratliff, who rushed for 492 yards a year ago
with a robust 7. 2 yards per carry, will get the majority of carries, and 6-4 WR Benson gives Jones a big target downfield.
The strength of the defense resides in the secondary, where
all-district DBs Cobb and Shepard patrol. DT Bryant, an all-district selection a year ago who also plays on the offensive
line, emerged as a force in 2013.

THE WORD: A year after reaching the state semifinals, the Hornets struggled to a losing mark while playing plenty of youngsters. That experience should help Gatesville this season,
especially with the continued development of QB Speer, who
threw for 1,583 yards and 13 touchdowns and added another
283 yards on the ground. WR Jones, Speer’s top target a year
ago, also comes back after hauling in 35 receptions for 551
yards. Promising 6-3, 280-pound OL Mack could emerge as a
dominant force up front. Edmiston, an all-district TE and LB a
year ago, will primarily play on the defensive side of the ball as
coach Cooper tries to shore up a unit that gave up 33. 7 points
per game a year ago. Edmiston had 138 tackles a year ago,
and he takes advantage of space-eaters such as 260-pound
DT Westbrook controlling the gaps.

CHINA SPRING COUGARS

ENROLLMEN T: 718 ( 6)

2013 RECORD: 5-5

THE COACH: Mark Bell

THE PLAYERS: Robert Martinez (Sr., WR), Tristan Czajkoski
(Jr., DB), Ross Liles (Sr., LB), Kameron Coe (Jr., QB), Brett
Cain (So., DB), Devin Brooks (Sr., WR/DB), Zachary Goforth
(Jr., RB/LB), Cody Fulp (So., WR/LB), David Feliciano (Jr., RB)
THE WORD: Realignment did no favors to China Spring, which
must battle through a rugged district without a proven quarterback and several defensive holes. However, the Cougars
do boast dangerous RB Feliciano, who rushed for 608 yards
and 11 touchdowns while sharing time in the backfield. They
also welcome back first-team all-district WR Martinez, who
snagged 60 catches for 730 yards and nine touchdowns
during a breakout 2013. That duo helped the Cougars average an impressive 39. 5 points per game. However, China
Spring’s defense will have to significantly lower its average
of 37. 9 points allowed per game from a year ago if the
program hopes to reach the playoffs. DB Czajkoski enjoyed
a stellar sophomore season with 76 tackles, and LB Liles
racked up 74 tackles. Building a defensive front looks like a
summer priority for longtime coach Bell.

THE WORD: Veteran coach Emerson enters his second season at Lampasas with a talented but young squad. Only 14
letter winners return from last season’s bunch, so Emerson
will count on a junior varsity team that went 8-2 to heavily
contribute. RB Maples and FB Phillips spearheaded the JV
and will likely get plenty of action in Lampasas’ run-heavy
offense. Returning RB Walker will still carry the lead after tallying 546 yards rushing and 343 yards receiving a year ago,
and he’ll get the tough yards behind all-district OL Wiggins.
Defensively, the Badgers will lean on a seasoned secondary
led by honorable mention all-district DBs McGhee and Argo.
LB McIntire, who had 56 tackles and two sacks last year,
also returns, but the Badgers must rebuild their defensive
front if they hope to limit the high-powered offenses they’ll
face through district play.

THE WORD: Playing to the team’s strengths in the trenches,
the Panthers will continue to stick with their bread and butter and run the slot T scheme in 2014. Head coach Jerry
Vance wants to control the line of scrimmage and is perfectly fine with the old-school three-yards-in-a-cloud-of-dust
mentality, its won them a couple of state titles in the not
so distant past. Offensive lineman Colton Hall, Justin Wilson
and Jake Sanders will be asked to establish a wall while the
Panthers break in a new group of skill-position players. On
defense the team’s strength will also reside up front, led by
three-year starter Jacob Covington on the defensive line.
The 6-fot- 3, 210-pounder has 227 tackles in his career as
a Panther. He’ll play alongside fellow linemen Kalub Foster
and Chris Anderson to make up one of the most experienced
defensive fronts in the district.

THE WORD: Battlin’ Billies quarterback Kyle Grona, and offensive weapons Brayden Beard, Kyle Reeh and Bryce Beard
combine to make up one of the most dynamic offenses in
the region. Grona can beat teams with either his arm or
his legs. He threw for 2,089 yards and 20 touchdowns and
added another 840 yards and 19 scores on the ground last
year. Brayden Beard stands 5-foot- 8, but packs plenty of
explosiveness in his small frame. He caught 48 passes for
776 yards and 12 scores a year ago. Expect to hear more
about his brother Bryce Beard who cracked the lineup as a
sophomore and will push for more playing time in his junior
year. Linebacker Wyatt Brannan recorded 127 tackles and
three sacks a year ago and lineman Braden Bowers creates
fits for opposing offenses with his speed and ability to get off
the ball. Fredericksburg will have to deal with having a target
on their backs in 2014 after their breakout 2013 campaign.